New folks are going to go up against several things:
1) Veterans know everything like the back of their hand. Some of them are super kind, some of them are elitist. Please be patient with the helpful ones and do your best to forgive the offensive ones. This game is not about those old stagnant speed-runners, this game is about you new folks. Do not forget that. If they end up making the quest far too easy then let them know so that they can leave the group or slow down, though there is always the option to reform a party without them.
2) Dungeons can be unexpectedly hard. That is the intention of the origins of Dungeons and Dragons. The content is designed to be so difficult for pen and paper that there is a very real possibility that you will fail the campaign. If you lose a weapon to an ooze because you don't know it will eat your metal sword, or if you get nuked by a troglodyte fireball or if you fall into a pit and die from the impact, just remember what happened for next time. Taking a re-entry XP penalty can be too harsh for someone wanting to play for a whole day straight so remember that you can reset a dungeon from ground zero before re-entering if need be, and memorizing the dungeons is key to later on "Reincarnating" because you will need more XP to level up after 1 or 2 reincarnations (after 2 it stays the same).
3) Having a balanced party is essential, so having a static group that you can game with will be essential if you are a fighter or other support-dependent class. Gaming with friends can also vastly improve the experience as well, so don't be afraid to call up some acquaintances and get a schedule going for a semi-daily or daily or even weekly DDOing so that you folks can have a great time playing. Multi-TR masters of this game can largely ignore the party balance requirements simply because they know precisely what to expect and when and where to expect it and precisely the saving throws they will need for it and have prepared excessively.
4) Traps are no joke. This is because of a thread i made about rogues being undervalued as to be a point of mockery back many years ago. The discussion carried on far longer than it needed to but the end result was that traps were tuned from laughably nonexistent damage to "your sorceror will instantly die if he goes near it". Worst case scenario try to jump around it and remember that you can opt to do a different quest entirely or restart the one you are in.
5) Do not be afraid of carrying extra potions and wands and scrolls, as in many cases they can save your backside or the backside of one of your party members (usually a scroll), and nearly everyone will want Use Magic Device if your INT score is anywhere above 13 (UMD is a CHA based skill but being able to afford putting points into it is a challenge with an INT lower than 14). In the early levels very few classes will have the Use Magic Device ability to sling a cure wounds wand but they can make or break a quest. Be mindful that such wands are very pricey so that you don't abuse the player slinging one. If you don't have the funds, just be cautious.
6) Don't be afraid of playing with a Character Builder and trying new things. A lot of experimental builds have been born on paper long before they ever show up in the Character Designer on the DDO Character Generation screen.
7) Try new things - the game is best experienced from many different angles and is designed for replayability.
1) Veterans know everything like the back of their hand. Some of them are super kind, some of them are elitist. Please be patient with the helpful ones and do your best to forgive the offensive ones. This game is not about those old stagnant speed-runners, this game is about you new folks. Do not forget that. If they end up making the quest far too easy then let them know so that they can leave the group or slow down, though there is always the option to reform a party without them.
2) Dungeons can be unexpectedly hard. That is the intention of the origins of Dungeons and Dragons. The content is designed to be so difficult for pen and paper that there is a very real possibility that you will fail the campaign. If you lose a weapon to an ooze because you don't know it will eat your metal sword, or if you get nuked by a troglodyte fireball or if you fall into a pit and die from the impact, just remember what happened for next time. Taking a re-entry XP penalty can be too harsh for someone wanting to play for a whole day straight so remember that you can reset a dungeon from ground zero before re-entering if need be, and memorizing the dungeons is key to later on "Reincarnating" because you will need more XP to level up after 1 or 2 reincarnations (after 2 it stays the same).
3) Having a balanced party is essential, so having a static group that you can game with will be essential if you are a fighter or other support-dependent class. Gaming with friends can also vastly improve the experience as well, so don't be afraid to call up some acquaintances and get a schedule going for a semi-daily or daily or even weekly DDOing so that you folks can have a great time playing. Multi-TR masters of this game can largely ignore the party balance requirements simply because they know precisely what to expect and when and where to expect it and precisely the saving throws they will need for it and have prepared excessively.
4) Traps are no joke. This is because of a thread i made about rogues being undervalued as to be a point of mockery back many years ago. The discussion carried on far longer than it needed to but the end result was that traps were tuned from laughably nonexistent damage to "your sorceror will instantly die if he goes near it". Worst case scenario try to jump around it and remember that you can opt to do a different quest entirely or restart the one you are in.
5) Do not be afraid of carrying extra potions and wands and scrolls, as in many cases they can save your backside or the backside of one of your party members (usually a scroll), and nearly everyone will want Use Magic Device if your INT score is anywhere above 13 (UMD is a CHA based skill but being able to afford putting points into it is a challenge with an INT lower than 14). In the early levels very few classes will have the Use Magic Device ability to sling a cure wounds wand but they can make or break a quest. Be mindful that such wands are very pricey so that you don't abuse the player slinging one. If you don't have the funds, just be cautious.
6) Don't be afraid of playing with a Character Builder and trying new things. A lot of experimental builds have been born on paper long before they ever show up in the Character Designer on the DDO Character Generation screen.
7) Try new things - the game is best experienced from many different angles and is designed for replayability.
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Although I am also unrepetant about the time I spent here, several off the computer freindships spawned from meeting up in this game and friends are one of the great riches of life.